This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com

17 April 2013

Jetstar maybe region-bound yet cancelling at the same time.

A couple of pieces in the news at present...

Jetstar has cancelled hundreds of domestic flights because of sagging demand on main trunk routes over May and June. A Jetstar spokesman said schedule "optimisation" was done from time to time. "It's a low season over that period so we're probably doing more than normal. It's business as usual, it doesn't signify anything." The airline has been flying domestic routes here since 2009 and late last year significantly boosted capacity seats with the addition of a ninth aircraft. The spokesman said the cancellations were concentrated on the Auckland-Wellington route where it has most services and most passengers could be rebooked on alternate flights "within hours." "Optimisation means you take a look at market demand and how many flights you've got and you change your schedule accordingly - all airlines do it."

And indeed, all airlines DO do it... I wanted to fly into Hokitika next month to be there by 5.30pm. Looking on line I found the mid-afternoon Air New Zealand Link wasn't operating... A bit more searching and I found a lot of these canned. Where once Hokitika had up to five flights a day now it is now often reduced to three! My recent trip home on the flight out of Hokitika both the inbound and outbound flights were full... One wonders how many wanted to fly but couldn't? Once Eagle seemed keen to promote flights - with the at best marginal-economics of the Beech it is better to have fewer flights but full flights.

Speaking of the regions...

Jetstar says it is looking at expanding its domestic network to regional centres, prompting Air New Zealand to say it will staunchly defend a stronghold of the airline. Jetstar says airports have approached it about extending its network beyond the four main trunk centres and Queenstown that it currently serves... Provincial centres would need to meet tighter security restrictions to handle jets, although Jetstar's parent company, Qantas, used turbo props on its regional routes in Australia, so the group had "experience" of using the planes. "There's an area of untapped potential. We need to look at a savvy way that we could tap into that regional market, bust those monopolies and put our low-fares proposition into play."

3 comments:

Yes I wanted to book NZ2862 CHC to HKK 11.00am - 11.40am. Went online to book and found it had been canned. That was the only flight that suited my schedule. Now I fly into WSZ on the morning flight and drive.

Sounds like the ex Air Nelson General Manager now working for Jetstar in NZ is making his move on the regions.But will Jet* really go turboprop? I suspect it will be a start-up turboprop carrier to provide services on behalf of Jet*. I doubt they would set up in their own right. Perhaps they will look to acquire MA60's and Harbin Y-12's :-)

there seems to be potential, airports such as napier, palmerston nth, hamilton, rotorua, could all be serviced by jets. the q 400 would be a great choice, qantas has all the training facilities here in oz, recently flew on a atr, forget it, noise & vibration, q300/400 much better.. the air n.z. monopoly must end!